Cattle-guard.



W. A. INMAN.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9. |916.

wnNessEs ATTORNEY W` A. INMAN.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION man Ams. 19|s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented J ATTORNEY mf E] WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT orrror..

WILLIAM A. INMA, OF HARTFORD CITY, INDIANA.

il To all whom it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. INMAN, a citizen of the United States,vv residing at Hartford City, in the countyv of Blackford and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful TImprovements in Cattle- Guards, of which the following isa specification. 'i f This invention relates to yan improved cattle guard for use in connection with railways and the principal object of the invention is to provide a cattle guard which is so constructed that it maybe connected with the ties vand loosely connected therewith so that it may be easilyI disconnected and to further permit the ties to. have a certain amount of movement without the guard moving with the ties.

- proved guard. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the cattle guard taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a verticall transverse 'sectional viewl taken along the lines 3 `3of` Fig. 1. Fig. 4L is an yenlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

This cattle guard will be supported upon the ties 10 which carry the railsll'and willy extend between the rails and also outside the rails. The side strips or supporting strips 12 are secu-'red ytothe ties'lO by means of' fasteners which pass through longitudinally extending slots formed in the ends of these side strips and it will thus be seenthat'the guard will be'permitted of sliding movement longitudinally of the trackthus permitting independent Vmovement of the ties and guard. These side bars carry cross bars 14; which are formed of'angle iron and have their upstanding flanges provided with slots to receive the hookedends of the platform strips 15. These platform strips have their upper ends extending in overlapping relation and are provided with openings through which extends the rod 16 serving to pivot Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 2, 1917, Application med August 9, 191e. serial N. 114,019. 1

ally connect the platform strips and thus permit the platform to move longitudinally when depressed. Tread plates 17 are carried by these strips' 15 and between the platform strips engage the supporting plates 18 which platesL rest' upon the side strips12 at their outer ends as shown in Fig. 3.'

Beneath the inner ends of the platform there has been provided a cross strut or housing 19'which housinghas its end porp tions secured to the'outer side strips 12 and is provided with openings through which extend the reduced ends of the posts 20. These posts 20 are yprovided at their upper end with yokes to engage the rods 16 and are provided at their lower ends with abutment nuts 21 serving to limit the extent to which the springs 22 may move the posts upwardly. A regulating bar extends beneathl the cross tie or housing 19 and is provided with key hole openings through which the bolts 20 pass, the openings at the larger ends of the key hole openings being of such size as to permit the securing nuts 21 to pass through the bar. This bar is slidably mounted by means of fasteners 24 and it will ythus be seen that when it is desired to have the rods and platforms raisedabove the height vshown in Fig. 8, this bar can be moved longitudinally and the bolts may then move upwardly to such an extent that the rods will be positioned above the height of the treads of the rails. The rods can thenbe drawn longitudinally and thus the strips 15 will be disconnected.` By withdrawing the fasteners 13 the platform can then be readily disconnected from the ties.V A shoe or supplemental housing 25 is posi' tioned beneath the housing v19 and secured thereto by means of bolts 26 and will thus provide room to permit the posts 20 to move downwardly when pressure is applied to the platform. l

When in use the cattle guard will be mounted as shown in Fig. l1-. If cattle attempt to walk upon the tracks, they must first step upon the platform at either end of the guard and yin doing so, the weight will cause the platform upon which the animal steps to drop. The dropping of the platform will alarm the animal and it will step ofi' of the platform which will then immef diately return to the originalposition under the action of the springs 22. From an i11- spection of Fig. 3, it will be readily seen that this guard does not extend above the rails and thattherefore it will not interfere with the trains moving along the track.

Therefore this device will be so constructed that it will be out of the way and at the same time will be so constructed that it will a track, a housing secured beneath said; side strips and 'extending transversely of the .track ata pointintermediate the'length of the side strips, cross bars secured upon said side strips and provided .with upstanding flanges having openingsy formed therein,

tread platforms including longitudinally extending barsL having their outer end portions hooked and extendingthrough the openings of said flanges to slidably. connectthe platformfwith thecross bars, a pivot rod extending "through the inner end portions of the longitudinally extending bars of said platform, supporting posts positioned. in said housing and having reduced threaded lower end portions extending throughopenings'in the bottom of the. housing and provided at their. upper endswith yokes engaging seid pivotrod, springs positioned upon the. .ref ducedends of saidy posts to yieldably hold the postsl in a raised position, securing nuts screwed upon the threaded lower ends of said posts, and an abutment. bar slidably Connected with said housing and provided With keyhole openings through. which said posts pass.

2. A cattley guard comprising side supporting. strips. adapted for sliding` connection; with the cross ties of a railway track,

cross bars carried by said side, strips and having, upstanding perforated angesplntforms'including longitudinally extending bars having their outer end portions passing through the slots to,` slidably mount the outerv ends of the platforms, a pivot rodpivotally l conneetingthe inner end. Portions of the bars of. seidv platforms, a housing extending beneath said pivot rod, posts slidebly Carried byV said housing and engaging rsaid pivot'.

rods, and resilient means carriedby 'said posts` for yieldably holding the same in a raised position.

A cattle guard comprising sidestrips, CROSS` bars. connected with the end portions of said side strips, a housing extending beT neath the side strips and secured thereto, anA

i Y adjusting bar slidably mountedl beneath said housing and provided With key-hole `openings, posts slid'ably passing :through said housing and through the key hole openings gofsaid adjusting lo'ar and provided with securing `nuts forming abutments engaging saidfbar, resilient means yieldably holding said posts in a raised position, platforms including longitudinally extending bars having thein outer 4end portions slidably connected with said cross bars and having their through theL overlapping inner end portions of said, longitudinally extending bars, tread plates. for the platforms carried by said longitudinally extending bars and kproviding gutters between the bars, and a supporting structureOr said platform including cross bars slidably engagedby the outer endsof the longitudinally extending bars of said platforms, posts engaging said pivot rod, and springs yieldably holding the posts in a raised position. l o

5,'A cattle guard including platforms, a pivot rod pivotally connectingthe inner end portions of said platforms, and a supporting structure for said platforms including cross bars for slidably engaging the ,outer end portions of saidv platforms, a housing forming part of said supporting structure and extending beneath said pivot, rod, posts carried by said housing and engaging said pivot rod and yieldably .held in raised position, 'and'. a hood connected with and ex,- tending beneath said housing..

6,. A cattle guard-including a supporting structure havingv side.: bars adapted for. connection with the. lties of a track-'to permit @einery of.. thisfpatent may be. obtainedafer uve cents eeen.,I brv addressing. the? 0f intents- Weshlnm; 1L, u.A f A 

